The retired Long Island science teacher set a world record in his Volvo in 1998 (most miles driven by a single person in a non-commercial vehicle). But he says it’s never been about the number of miles, but rather what he’s seen during his journey.

“It’s not about getting to the 3 million miles; it’s about the trips that got me to the 3 million miles,” Gordon said. “I never had a goal to get to 1 million, to 2 million.”

After buying the cherry red coupe new in 1966, Gordon wasted little time piling on the miles. He picked it up on a Friday and put so many miles on it over the weekend, it was back in for service the next week.

“I couldn’t stop driving the car. It was a holiday weekend, and I brought the car back to the dealership the following Monday for its 1,500-mile service,” Gordon said.

With a 125-mile daily commute, the mileage quickly stacked up. He reached 500,000 in 10 years. Just over 20 years after buying the car, he hit his first million miles.

Each of the million-mile marks has come during a special trip. The car rolled over to 1 million in 1987 while driving around Central Park. Two million also came during a New York City trip in 2002.

And this latest (ahem) milestone came during a drive along the Turnagain Arm in Alaska, one of only two remaining states Gordon had never visited. “The best way to explore America is by car,” he said.

Now that he’s eclipsed 3 million, the possibility of another million miles depends more on him than it does the car, Gordon said.

Races are just one element of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, a three-day event that pits about 540 classic and vintage street and racing cars against one another. The cars are grouped into classes based on marque, engine size and era. Read more: Car collectors race pricey vintage vehicles